Mark Goyder

Travelers arriving at Liverpool St station in London see a memorial to the Kindertransport. In 1938 and 1939, ten thousand unaccompanied Jewish children were transported to Britain to escape persecution in Germany and Austria. They were  taken in by British families. Only a few were … Continue readingWhat Would Make Us Proud of Our Country?

I’ve just read Catherine Belton’s excellent book ‘Putin’s People – how the KGB took back Russia and then took on the West’. I then saw the FT’s film ‘The London Laundromat’. London, and especially the City of London, played a prominent part in Putin’s ascent. … Continue readingTrust and Russian Money – Time for the City to Look in the Mirror?

‘The Battle of the Deplorable Owners’ took place on 13 March 2022 – a Premier League match between Chelsea,  owned by oligarch Roman Abramovich and Newcastle United, owned by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. (The fund’s chair, Mohammed Bin Salman has been unable … Continue readingDeplorable Owners – how to deal with football’s tainted inheritance  

It was a pleasant evening with friends. Next to me was the long-retired founder of a business that I admire.  Suddenly changing the subject, he asked ‘Mark tell me what you think about B Corp’? The B Corp movement is born out of the belief … Continue readingCulture – the gaping hole that undermines B Corp’s credibility

I once heard about a Syrian refugee, a biochemist, who reflected on the horrors and humiliations involved in fleeing his country. ‘I’m a scientist; I’m supposed to be intelligent. Yet I didn’t even think to bring a spade’ he said. War is a time for … Continue readingMaster or servant? A new agenda for teaching business

In 2019 I was invited to Lithuania to speak at the Annual Conference of the Baltic Institute of Corporate Governance (BICG) My hosts presented me with chocolates made by a company whose history goes back 100 years. ‘So’ I asked  ‘Was this  one of the … Continue readingLithuanian chocolates and global shocks

The government sees improved productivity as the cornerstone of its Levelling Up policy. That means supporting the private sector – the real engine of wealth creation to invest more, grow more and take more risks Economist David Smith has warned about the slow growth rate … Continue readingThe high road to improved productivity

Life expectancy for a man living in Blackpool is 74 years. In the London Borough of Westminster it is over 84. In Barnsley 15% of disadvantaged pupils go to university. In  London 45% do. Geographical inequality in the UK is stark. Our government’s Levelling Up … Continue readingYes to levelling up. No to divisiveness and ignoring nature.

Paul Myners – who died two weeks ago – had a flair for creative disruption. He was an ally in early attempts to interest the investment community in the concept of stewardship. Appointed City Minister in 2008 he championed the newly-published Tomorrow’s Owners – stewardship … Continue readingStewardship – a joint responsibility that we have yet to crack

Here is a question to ask your colleagues or, if you are a teacher of business, your students. Try dating these two statements: Putting your company’s purpose at the foundation of your relationships with your stakeholders is critical to your success. Tomorrow’s company defines its … Continue readingFink again